The Ashen Prophet
Species - Splinter Walker Homeworld - N/A Region - N/A Individual Character - The Ashen Prophet The Ashen Prophet does not exist until roughly 85 ASE, though this is an early form of him. As time passes, he grows in power, and represents the coming of Iyaroh, as he fortells. A hunched, white-skinned man that speaks the will of Iyaroh. First of the Death God's servants, and the primary figure of its will, the Ashen Prophet is the focus of many horror tales told to children to quiet them and encourage obedience. "Stay out of the shadows, for they whisper to the Prophet." "Sleep now, the dark is the Ashen Prophet's breath." "Lies are the words of the Ashen one's tongue." Such common phrases are frequently heard in the homes Agreon's families. ORIGIN On a biological level, it is easy to state that the Ashen Prophet is simply an advanced form of a Splinter Walker. It is unknown how it came to be, or why it is more intelligent than a normal walker. The Ashen Prophet's personal motives are unknown, but the man, if you could call it a man, speaks the will of Iyaroh, the White God of Death. Hushed whispers of emboldened drunkards and quizzical young students propose varied theories including an evolution of Iyaroh's power, a harbinger of death given form, or simply a physical representation of the will of a god. APPEARANCE The Ashen Prophet is male in appearance, hunched and shuffling through Agreon's cities, whispering the intent of Iyaroh and carrying out his will. His skin looks as white as alabaster, and bears no blemishes, hair, or muscular curves. In appearance, his body seems almost like that of a living statue, but is made of an immeasurable amount of tiny bone fragments, identifying him to a keen observer as a Splinter Walker. It is unknown why the Prophet moves in a hunched manner, but a few brave souls have claimed to see him move with unnatural speed, sprinting, leaping, and climbing with a predatory fervor that is concealed cleverly by his slowly-moving, shuffling manner. The Prophet wears a tattered grey cloak much too large for a figure of his size. The garment drags on the ground behind him as he moves, the only sound the figure makes when moving. ASSOCIATIONS The Ashen Prophet speaks the intent of Iyaroh, and freely claims allegiance to the Death God alone. The Prophet comes and goes as he pleases, ignoring laws and regulations. Various cases have been reported where law officials have attempted to halt or slow the prophet, but all cases have lacked witnesses, and have left only corpses. None have claimed to have done business with the Prophet, nor have any spoken to the man. Some have listened to his mutterings, praising the God of Death, or foretelling cryptic futures full of a gleaming landscape of bone and leathery sinew, dry and cracked under an eternal sun. Some claim to have seen the Prophet simply watching from a spire or a wall, observing, perhaps waiting. ABILITIES The Ashen Prophet is a figure of little recorded information. The Prophet has appeared in no major battles, though some fevered soldiers claim to have seen a grey, hunched figure wandering among the fallen, or watching from an outcropping of rocks or trees. Night watchmen have claimed to see the Prophet perform incredible feats of physical strength and agility in movement, and patrols and enforcement squads sent to apprehend the Prophet always end up sprayed all over some grimy alley, their bones broken, their skin slashed, and any witnesses too dead to give any sort of report. However, if one were to be possessed of knowledge beyond the scope of what has been proven, one would know the following. The Ashen Prophet's speed and strength are well beyond that of a normal human being. The skin of the Prophet is bone since he is technically a Splinter Walker, but this bone is much tougher than normal, closer in toughness to hardened steel than bone. The Prophet, in combat, may manipulate his bony skin and form blades, points, projectiles, defensive plates, and other combat constructs nearly instantaneously, and through thought alone. In addition, the Prophet has a small suite of additional magical powers that reflect those of Iyaroh, but naturally, since the Prophet is not a God, these powers are reduced in strength. However, just like a Splinter Walker, the Prophet abhors fire, since fire is, more or less, the Ashen Prophet's only weakness. His strength is abominable, his speed nearly unmatched, and his body itself is a weapon. It is fortunate that the Prophet does not openly seek combat, but rather goes about Iyaroh's business in the shadows.